Day 1 of 420 Worlds

by Jorge Carballo on 1 Aug 2006 The excellent sea and wind conditions enabled a good start to the International 420 Class World Championship and International 420 Class Ladies World Championship, which began today on the bay of the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, organised and hosted by Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria.

The wind and sea conditions in the two separate race areas were defined as follows: Steady Northeast wind, wind strength three to four knots, at a speed of 13 to 14 knots, and a quite wavy sea.

The Ladies’ boats started on time, while the Men and mixed crews started a bit delayed, waiting for the wind to be steady. After that, three races were held in each Class. Boats arrived to the berthing place at around 16:00 hours.

The competing countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, France, UK, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Swiss, USA and Spain. These countries participate in both Men and Ladies Classes.

Fiji Islands and Sweden participate in Men Class. Hong Kong, Hungary and Turkey participate in the Ladies Class only.

Good start for the crew from New Zealand, Carl Evans and Peter Burling who gained the first place in the three races held in their group today. Good start also for the Spanish team, from Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria, whose sailors are the former World champions José Antonio Medina and Antonio del Castillo Olivares, with a second, a fourth, and a seventeenth place, which leaves them in a seventh place.

The Spanish crew of Francisco Cárdenes and Juan Manuel Cerezo, also from Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria, had an excellent start as well, reaching a nineteenth place.

With regards to the rest of the competitors, the English crew of Richard Mason and Dan Schieber gained a second place and Swiss Brauchli Yannich and Hoster Simon a third place.

The worst incident was for one of the favourite boats, the crew from New Zealand of Simon Cook and Scott Illingworth, with a first and a ninth place. But an accident with another boat did not allow them to continue in the third race of the day.

The first place for the British crew of Frances Peters and Kate Sparks in the two first races. Sarah Bilkie and Rosie Sargisson from New Zealand gained a second, a fourth and a fifth place. Mariana Basilio and Daniela Adler won two of the three races but they finally had a third place due to a twelfth place in the last leg.

With regards to the Spanish sailors, Tara Pacheco and Elena Barambio from Club de Regatas Suroeste de Mogán, gained a seventh place, with two sixth places and a fifth place. Agueda Suria and Marta Martínez from Valencia had an excellent début gaining a fifteenth place, with a third, a seventh and a twentieth place.

Three new races are scheduled tomorrow, starting at 12:00 hours. The competitors’ aim is to reach one of the first 40 places in order to be able to win the title of the Gold Class, from next Thursday, 3rd of August.